1. Field
The present disclosure relates to network management. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for efficient management of flow definitions in a software-defined network.
2. Related Art
The exponential growth of the Internet has made it a popular delivery medium for heterogeneous data flows. Such heterogeneity has caused an increasing demand for bandwidth. As a result, equipment vendors race to build larger and faster switches with versatile capabilities, such as defining data flows using software, to move more traffic efficiently. However, the complexity of a switch cannot grow infinitely. It is limited by physical space, power consumption, and design complexity, to name a few factors. Furthermore, switches with higher and versatile capability are usually more complex and expensive.
Software-defined flow is a new paradigm in data communication networks. Any network supporting software-defined flows can be referred to as software-defined network. An example of a software-defined network can be an OpenFlow network, wherein a network administrator can configure how a switch behave based on data flows that can be defined across different layers of network protocols. A software-defined network separates the intelligence needed for controlling individual network devices (e.g., routers and switches) and offloads the control mechanism to a remote controller device (often a stand-alone server or end device). Therefore, a software-defined network provides complete control and flexibility in managing data flow in the network.
While support for software-defined flows brings many desirable features to networks, some issues remain unsolved in management of flow definitions. For example, because software-defined networks redefine traditional data flow management, coexistence of software-defined network with current network architecture can be challenging.